Loaiza had given Nunez a "lawful order" and the prisoner allegedly punched him in return.

Nunez beat Loaiza about the arms, hands and upper body, breaking the officer’s right thumb, court papers said. He also knocked another correction officer to the floor when he tried to intervene.

Nunez was convicted of first-degree robbery in Manhattan in 2002, according to online records of the state Department of Correctional Services.

He has a parole hearing scheduled for August; however, this incident could dash his hopes of being sprung early in October.

Nunez was charged with two felony counts of second-degree assault, along with two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, according to District Attorney Daniel Donovan’s office. He also is accused of two counts of harassment, a violation.

If convicted of the felony charge, Nunez could be sentenced to up to seven years. That prison term could run consecutively to his current sentence which expires April 3, 2012, Correctional Services records show.